Lamp socket



J. S. YARROW Nov. `17, v1953.v

LAMP SOCKET Filed July 8, 195o FIG. 2.

Fis.

me. e. FIG. 7

, :inventor JOSEPH .5: l VAR/ww Patented Nov. 17, 17953 f UNITED STATES PATENT QFFI'CEiL f LAMP SOCKET Joseph S. Yarrow, Litchfield County,`Conn.

Application July 8, 1950, Serial No. 172,714

This invention relates to electrical devices and more particularly to anchored contact parts for wire` connections. 1

One object of theinvention is to provide such adevice in the form of a lamp socket whose cornl includes, a housingV having beads `therein provided lwith undercut grooves the walls of which-y are curved and conductors each having a part forced into one of said grooves and bent along the wall and having a side portion `wedged against a angwe of the undercut groove.

In the accompanying drawing showing, by way of example, several of many possible embodiments of the invention,

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view of the completed socket;

` Fig. 2 is a transverse horizontal sectional vieW of the socket, the section being taken along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows of said line;

Fig. 3 is a transverse horizontal sectional view ofthe socket, lthe section being taken along the line 3-3 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows of said line;

Fig. 4 is a fragmental perspective of the housing showing the bead;

, Figs, 5 and 6 are perspectives of the conductors before assembly;

Figs. 7 and 8 show modifications of parts of the conductors of Figs. 5 and 6: and

Fig. 9 shows a step in the assembly of parts t form the socket of Fig. 1.

The completed socket comprises a tubular housing I0 of hard plastic such as the phenolformaldehyde, urea formaldehpde, or phenolic furfural types partially closed at the lower endv 10 podriais.l (ci. 3323+180) stantially vertcalfundercut grooves I8 open iat the top, or ledge, forming vertical opposed flanges I9, The ends of the grooves toward the bottom;

of the housing are curved inwardly toward rthe,

axis of the housing as at 20. l

A disk 2l of insulating material is disposed Aon the ledges of the respectivebeads and the Vpe-l ripheral portion of the disk is providedwithslits- 22 which register with the respective toppends of the grooves I8. A socket screw shell 24 yissnugly disposed in the upper part of the housing and is provided with an inwardly turned flange 25 around its lower end for a part of its circum-l;

ference, a portion of the shell being cut awayfas at 26. 'Ihe ange 25 rests on the disk 2| and is provided with slits 28, which register j With the slits of the disk and the groove I8. v

The shell is secured in place by a retaining piece or horse shoe 29 of metal such as brasson the flange and in electrical Contact therewith; The retaining piece is provided with prongs 3Gv passing downwardly through the slits 22, 28 andinto thev grooves I8. The prongs, during or after out into the'ange I9. Thus the prongs arebent to secure the shell in placevand at the same time the barbs cut into the. material of the housing."

Atleast one of the prongs` 3U is,providednwith,- an opening :i5 through whichan exposed end por-v E. tioiii-lti oione of the wires .4 passes, the endlportion'i` is wedged tightly between the prong and the back walloi the groove I8. y l g A contact member 38 having button portion 3l` upon Vthe diskA is provided with an angularend` member 4E! similar to the described prong 3d.v` This end member is retainedin one of the beads I5 in a manner describedof prong 30 tofhold the4 end portion il of the other of the wire pairs Of course the member 38 is out of electrical con-1f tact with the socket shell 24 and horse shoe'llf.

During, assembly, as best understood by refer` ence to Fig. V9, the shell is disposed with its iiangev 25 upon the disk 2I and the horse shoe and contact member 38 are putin place with th"e"ies1`iec'` tive prongs 30 and end member v'40 passing 'Y Next the wire pairn I0', and their terminal ends threadedl throgh'the opemngs 35' and 35 ina prong and"endinein"`- ber. Preferably the Wire ends 36 and il should fit snugly in the openings so they will not accidentally be freed therefrom.

Finally a suitable plunger or tool (not shown) is inserted into the socket shell to :force the prongs and end member 38 into their respective groove pairs I8 until the prongs and end member have cut into ilanges I9 and they themselves have been bent and partially clinched as shown in Fig. 1. All the while the wire pair I4 is drawndoyvnwardly to prevent kinking and the wire ends"haye,`at the appropriate" time, passed betweenth'ilanges I9.

Thus it is that with a simple downward motion of a plunger the socket is assembled in final form and the electrical connections lrmlystablished.

In another form of the prong or end-piece'3b as shown in Fig. 7 an open endedgslotimay. he provided instead of the opening or In this connection the jaws on either side ofthe slot also grip the wire ends. l`^"`Ir`1"'5'1 et anotherl'form of-the prong or endpiece soi sshwiinimg sthopart may bo offthin a l ri`al1ithe 'edges of vwhich are rolled inwardly as-'t'Mto lprovide 'the vnecessary stiiness tol prevent haphazard buckling of the piecel- Of course fa ft'nfrmmay b'eiprovided-'witha hole or slot as l-previoisly 'fdesc'ribed land `the edges inay 'be fo honed." `--'It`is'.'obvious that forfasimple socket only one prong to'tliefhorse shoe is necessary and 'parts f tho/horse shernay'befsecred to 'the housing byvconventional vmeans'. YA plurality 'of prongs n'iaybeY provided on the contactm'ember 38 as are'oshowr'iprovided `onthe horse shoe 29. VSuch anfa-rrangenent-wouldhe desirable'wlhere a numberL of .sockets are-torbeconnecteddn parallel.

'I'he invention claimed is:

-1 .-'A-tubular lamp socket-'housing Vpartially closed at thelowerend, the latterbing provided with `a..hole`ito..admit wires; -an inwardly developedsbead-.inthe lower portion ofthe-housing and longitudinal thereof terminating in a-planeltrans- Verse to and Lin the Imid-portion of the housing tosfdrm ,alledge; thebead having a substantially vgiigal under. cut groove openat the top of the @liggend farming vertical opposed flanges, Lthe tells the. :the grooveztoward the looi-n toni oi the`h ne b ngufred towardfthe. Xiev dft ,an electrical @Ondutgls .id liederen e Ovveanibht i0 fnfgrm. substantiall ,t'the rv'e ofsaid.vs/alls] `A j; Aiam t oiotcmprisiog o mooier housing pa wally losedat thelfowe' end.' the lattenboing proy'moi'with a hole to admit wires; phi` ralityr'offbeadsfin the lower portion of the housiinFatl-least' ltwol v"beads having' substantially 'vertical undercut grooves,l open at the top and forrvertical "pppug'sedy flanges, the'walls at the ends ofthe grooyestoward thebottom of the housing beingLcur'ved -`toward the axis of the housing; ari insulating disk-disposed on the'beads; a socket screw shelland-center'button mountedv over said disk;a-.pair"of-conductor prongs, for andin electrical contactwithsaid-shell and'button respectively, passing4 downwardlypast-said disk and into saidkgroovesiand. bentalong thecurve of said wallsand engaging a part of said iianges, and wilef terminal .portions passing between Ysaid flanges and through said. prongs and wedged be tvgeepthe .back facesv of. the prongs andthe hous-v ing.

combination, a tubnlar housing partially elo edatA the lowenend. the latter being pro- Wihva AholeA topadmitwires; a plurality of- ,thereof and the barbs thereof engaging said `v`iianges, and wire terminal portions passing betiiln' said flanges and through said prongs and `Wedged`betweeri.the back faces of the prongs and the housing.

.i4.liln,a;1ampqcket, a tubular housing partially closedat the lower end, the latter being provided'with a hole to admit Wires; ledge members in the lower portion of -the housing thereof all terminating iria loommonplanetransverse to and inthe `mid-po`rtiorl Aof Athe housing, `at :least one of the members being in the formof beads having-a substantially verticalfundercut groove open atthetp ofthele'dge and forming Vertical opposedla'nges, the `ends Aof thegroovetoward the botton'oflthe `h0usiri`g'-\beingA curved `toward the axis of the housing; an insulating disk disposed on1the'1le'dges of the -members and provided with a slit in the intraperipheral portions of Vthe disk and-registering witlrthe open end of the groove; a socket screw"`s hellsnu'g\ly Ndisposed-in the Vupper part 'of the vhousing V'and Vhaving an lir'iwardly L turned liange-ori-.the'lower end and resting on said diskithe vi'iange having al 'slit registering with" the groove; and `van varcuate retaining piece on the shell ii'ange'land-rnakingV electricalfcontact therewith,"said retaining piece having aprong passing downwardly through the slits of the ''liskan'd shell flange and-int'ofthefgroovo thelower ends of the prongs -being bent along thefourve of the groove.

5. In ala'mp" socket as in lclaim Ll, said prong being 'transversely nat Yand having serrated inargin'alportions engaged into saidopposed flanges.

6. in combination, a tubular housing partial- 1y .oiosodatfltne ioweriondj the' latter" oem provided with holes to admit wires; auplurl ty of ledge members in the lower-portion'o Ythe housing and longitudinal the-'roof au' terminating in a Acommon yplane transverse to and in the midportion of the housing to formledges; -at least one Ionthe viriernoers fbeing'in the idrm of a bead :having :a substantially vertical (undercut groove openat the -top ofthe ledge'andfforming vertical opposed` flanges, the ends of'the'groove toward the` bottoinloithe housing being curved toward the axis of the housing; an 'insulating disk disposedV on the ledges; a'centercontaot member adjacent the upper face of theI disk and-pa 'ing through-said disk and having a vcurved prong Tin said groove andliavin'gitsiside portions wedged against Ithe opposed flanges oij the groovefa'nd a wire terminal portion passing between saidf opposedfanges andsth-roughsaid prongandfwedged against; the back face of groove.

'7. Aicombinatienfas :inclaim V6, sidemarginal portions of-:saidpronghaving inwardly turned portions-ltd provide longitudinal stinness.

8. A lamp socket comprising a tubular housing of. plastic a insulatingmaterial ps irtially'` 'closed at the..lower.end,the latter Abeing provided with Ya hole,- toadmit wires; agplurality fof beads inthe lower portion .ot the housing and longit'udilnal thereof all terminating ina common planetransi-` verse to and in the mid-portion of the housing to form ledges; at least two of the beads having substantially vertical undercut grooves open at the top of the ledge and forming vertical opposed langes, the ends of the grooves toward the bottom of the housing being curved 'toward the axis of the housing; an insulating disk disposed on the ledges and provided with slits in the intra peripheral portions of the disk and registering with the respective open ends of the grooves; a socket screw shell snugly disposed in the upper part of the housing and having an inwardly turned flange around the lower end for a part of its circumferential distance and resting on said disk, a portion of the lower end of the shell being cut away, the flange having slits at least one of which registers with a groove; an arcuate retaining piece on the shell flange and making electrical Contact therewith, said retaining piece having at least one prong passing downwardly through the slits of the disk and shell ilange and into the grooves, the lower ends of the prongs being bent along the curved bottom of the groove and tightly wedged against the opposed flanges of the groove; a center Contact member adjacent the uper face of the disk and passing through one of said slits and having a prong in one of said grooves and having its side portions wedged against the opposed anges of the groove, and wire terminal portions passing between said opposed anges and through said prongs and wedged against the back face of the respective grooves.

9. In an electrical device, a housing having an interior abutment therein providing a ledge, said housing having a perpendicular wall at said ledge; said abutment being provided with an under-cut vertical groove open at the top of the ledge and forming vertical opposed flanges and a substantially continuous outer groove-wall vertical at its upper part and smoothly curved toward the interior of the housing at its lower part, and a conductor in the housing having a prong passing down into said groove and extending along and against the curved lower portion of the outer groove-wall, the prong projecting tight between the curved portion of the groove-wall and the lower ends of the anges toward the interior of the housing, the prong being engaged tightly against the groove-wall and the flanges.

l0. A lamp socket comp-rising a tubular housing closed at the lower end, the latter being provided with a hole to admit wires; the lower end portion of the housing having a radially inwardly developed ledge member fast with respect to the housing and terminating in a plane transverse to, and in the mid-portion of, the housing to form a ledge within the housing, the ledge member being provided with a substantially vertical under-cut groove open at the top of the ledge ,and forming vertical opposed flanges, the walls at the lower end of the groove being curved toward the axis of the housing; an insulating piece disposed on the ledge; a socket screw shell and center button mounted over said piece; a pair of conductor prongs for and in electrical contact with said shell and button respectively and passing downwardly past the piece, one of said prongs passing down into said groove and bent along the curve of said walls, and engaged against said walls and iianges, the lower end of the prong projecting past said flanges and in a direction toward the axis of the housing, and means for securing the other prong to the hous- JOSEPH S. YARROW.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,869,451 Wells Aug. 2, 1932 2,115,642 Martin Apr. 26, 1938 2,283,934 Jorgensen May 26, 1942 2,309,311 Grohsgal Jan. 26, 1943 2,422,393 Bryant June 17, 1947 2,553,371 Huppert May 15, 1951 

